The 23rd Psalm
by Chloe Magea
Summary: This story is about Quinn Marie Shepard's spiritual journey from death to rebirth. Please note I'm not a religious person and neither is my Shep. M for language.


**The 23****rd**** Psalm**

A/N: I own nothing, everything belongs to BioWare. This story is about Quinn Marie Shepard's spiritual journey from death to rebirth. Please note I'm not a religious person and neither is my Shep. I'm writing this from my own enjoyment. Please enjoy. 3 Once again thank you so much to my fantastic Bata :D

_**Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.**_

"Shepard!" Quinn heard Joker yell, knowing what she was about to do and trying to prevent her from it. She held on the crumbling ship as there was silent blast all around her preventing her from reaching him even if she wanted to. Right before her grip was broken she out stretched her arm and hit the sensor to close the shuttle door and launch the escape pod, his cries just echoes in her comm. as she began to float in the vacuum of space.

_ "Joker, you've got everything to live for kid. You had better keep flying or I'll be pissed."_ Quinn thought to herself as she floated around the destroyed haul of her ship. _"My ship, my Normandy..."_

HISSSS.

_ "What the hell is that?...Oh shit..."_ Quinn grabbed a hold of the oxygen tube attached to her suit, finding cracks and opened seals, her gloved fingers working hard and fast to try and prevent the quickly escaping oxygen. _"Maybe if I hold on to it I can stop it from...Shit! It's not fucking working! What! What did I do! Why is this happening to me? Out of all of the ways to die it's on an exploding ship, and my ship at that. Is my fate to suffocate? If there is a God, he is a fucking asshole! I have saved millions; no billions of lives and I'm here do die like this? Fuck you!...Ahh...It hurts...so bad...my chest..."_ Shepard felt warm tears start to run down her cheeks from her eyes and her conciseness start to fade_. "I-can't fight it...Gar...Garrus...I hope he got off of the ship...all of them. I want them to be safe...all of them..." _Was the last thing Quinn Marie Shepard thought as her empty lungs gave one last quiver from the lack of oxygen and her heart one last beat.

_ "Mmm...why is it so warm? Space is cold. That is pretty odd. It's so bright and peaceful. Mmm, I wish to stay here forever." Quinn thought as she stood in this new place, void of sorrow or pain. Every inch of her was covered by happiness as the bright light danced itself on to her skin._

_ "Quinn…" Two voices called out from the blinding light. Voices her ears had never heard but her heart knew them well. The two beings appeared from the whiteness, the faces that she had only seen in countless photographs._

_ "Mom...dad?" Her voice cracked at the sight of the two hand in hand. Smiles on both of their lips._

_ "You have done so well, Quinnie." Her mother's voice said warmly to her only daughter, warming her soul._

_ "We are so proud of you, dear." Her father added, his voice filled with comfort like a never ending embrace. Before Quinn could speak another figure appeared, one she'd always recognize and love._

_ "Nana!" Shepard squeaked._

_ "Quinnie, there were times when you lost your way in the darkness but we knew you would find your way back, my love." The old woman said to her granddaughter. The three of them started to fade away, receding back in to the light from once they came._

_ "Wait! Where are you going? Don't leave me!" Quinn cried out to the phantoms._

_ "There are others that must speak to you." They said and with that they were gone and in their place stood a tall Turian. Shepard could recognize that long fringe and mandibles from anywhere._

_ "Saren..."_

_ "Yes, Shepard. It is I." He said in that unforgettable drone of his. It was not the indoctrinated Saren that she had grew to hate, but instead what he was before the Reapers had consumed his mind. He was majestic even, almost beautiful._

_ "All I wanted to say was thank you." He continued._

_ "Why?" Quinn asked, confused as to why he was thanking her of all people._

_ "You had freed me form Sovereigns control and saved my soul." Quinn had been skeptical at first but there was something in his eyes that told her he was speaking the truth._

_ "You are welcome." She said back to him. Saren smiled the best a Turian could smile._

_ "You are an astonishing being, Shepard. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." And with that he was gone back in to the light. Now there was another person walking towards her. The pink and white armor destroying any mystery. The dark hair blowing in the slight breeze._

_ "Hey, Skipper."_

_ "Ash..."_

_ "Yep, and by the looks of things you have been pretty busy, Shep." Ashley said putting her hands on her hips and smiling._

_ "Ash, I'm so sorry..." Quinn said softly. Ashley shook her head._

_ "Listen Shep, one of use was going to die that day. It's not your fault for what happened. Anyway it's beautiful here." Ashley said warmly._

_ "Well, let's go. I'm ready for a little peace for once." Quinn smiled to her late Gunnery Chief. Ashley let out a small chuckle._

_ "Oh no, Skipper you have to go back."_

_ "What! Go back? I'm dead, Ash. My body is a breathless shell; there is nothing to go back to."_

_ "Well, you will get better." Ashley said as if it was an easy task as she set her hand on Shepard's shoulder._

_ "How is that possible?" Quinn asked her, eyes worried and confused._

_ "Um...I don't know Shepard, stranger things have happened. Like Humans falling in love with Turians." Quinn did not understand what that meant at all but didn't comment further. She supposed she'd find out soon what Ash meant._

_ "Commander, when I walked through the valley of the shadow of death I feared no evil, and neither should you in life." Ash uttered. Quinn felt herself being pulled backwards, her __hands reached out to Ashley but it was in vain. Suddenly the warmth was gone, replaced with a bone chilling cold and pain. She gasped and yelled._

"What! She is not supposed to be awake yet!" A woman's voice said, her voice sounding muddy and far away to Quinn's ears but was clear enough to be understood. Shepard coughed and vomited liquid on herself as she opened her mouth and gasped. She wanted to speak, to find out what was going on but it was easier said than done.

"If her heart beats any faster it's going to explode in her chest!" A man yelled, he continued talking but Shepard could not comprehend what else he was saying.

"What are you doing just standing there? Give her a sedative, now!" The woman ordered, looking at Shepard. Quinn's pupils retracted to the size of pin pricks, and her bile stained mouth clenched to form words but her brain did not understand now.

"Co-Com-Comand-er. Quinn Ma-rie-Sh-Shh-Shep-ard. Allience Mil-Milatary. N70134039...Nor-man-dy. Nor...man..." Shepard's words faded off as she slipped back in to the darkness.

Shepard never told anyone what she had seen when she died. Maybe it was the synapses of her brain firing off as she died causing her to hallucinate. Or the rush of electricity, jolting through her brain as she woke up. Or maybe it was real. Shepard would never admit it but she hoped for the latter.

-Fin-


End file.
